I created the Electronically Modified Didgeridoo to experiment in combining the organic sound qualities of a didgeridoo with the advanced signal processing capabilities of modern computer programming and sound synthesis. This custom built didgeridoo features externally mounted modules that allow a performer to process and manipulate the sound of the instrument expressively in real time. The versatility of control and tactile interfacing encourages a performer to remove their concentration from the computer and instead interact with the instrument and explore the performance space. All control data is transmitted wirelessly via blue-tooth which control multiple audio processes within a custom-built software environment. This arrangement allows for a performer to create detailed compositions or improvise freely due to the concentration on a performer/instrument interaction rather than a performer/computer interaction.
The merging of opposing sonic forces can be accomplished seamlessly portraying their acoustic similarities, or radically juxtaposed causing their differences to be revealed. By shifting between moments of subtle sound manipulation to sections of intensely processed events and sonically complex drones, the Electronically Modified Didgeridoo gives a performer the ability to encompass a diverse range of musical expression.
